FireFlies
by SilentSalvation
Summary: Zuko sets out on a journey to regain his honour, but in a twist of fates, it turns into a journey of self discovery. With a loyal uncle, and a young servant, they'll have to help themselves and each other. Basic avatar plot with a remix, Zuko/OC
1. Melodies

**So, in a risky endeavor, I've decided to rewrite this story from the very top. I read over my original story, and finding it somewhat distasteful, decided to recreate the OC into a new character I'm happier with. **

**To explain some changes, I've removed some scenes, and I've prolonged their childhood. Read if you're interested. :)**

**Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender does not belong to me.  
**

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The day was unusually bright and the heat had somehow maintained itself at a normal temperature. It was almost disappointing really, as the heat and sun had never been a disliked pair in the Fire Nation. The trees moved swiftly as a small breeze rolled through the royal grounds, where Zuko rested alone while awaiting his mother, who had gone to reprimand his younger sibling. Birds sat perched upon the trees, singing softly at the boy underneath them as he stared at the lazy turtle-ducks, slowly making their way across the pond. Every once in a while, a duck would stop, dip his head into the pond, and soon come out swallowing a small piece of nourishment it had managed to find in the murky water.

The clouds above them moved unremittingly, shifting and changing their shapes to unknown images. If one wanted, however, the clouds could bend at their will while slowly lumbering across the sky. The sound of dragon-hawks pierced the air every once in a while, as more messengers regarding the war entered and left the nation. The boy sitting beside the pond seemed to disregard the loud screech-like sounds of the hawks, already well exposed to their constant presence in the sky above him. Instead, he focused on the soft chirping of the birds resting on branches, which seemed just as dawdling as the clouds.

Soon, his mother moved back towards him, smiling gently at the boy before sitting down. She often took him to the pond to relax after having one of his small fits. Although Zuko seemed to display a short temper, he was never a violent boy, and often expressed his angers in just fits of stomping and shaking fists. Other than that, he was rarely getting himself into serious fights, even with his sibling, and he seemed to enjoy the peace of the outdoors more so than the rigidity of the inside. Hesitantly, not wanting to question something he could very well solve himself, he raised his hand and pointed at a small turtle-duck, baffled. "Mom," he began, turning back to the older woman, "What's wrong with that turtle-duck? It looks different…it swims weird too."

The small creature let out a sharp quack as it raced to find its siblings and be part of the small group. Ursa simply smiled, throwing a piece of bread towards the struggling duck, whose wing was noticeably smaller and deformed compared to the others, and whose plums were a strange colour. "Nothing's wrong with it, Zuko," she said gently, chuckling as the duck had managed to get the attention of its mother and siblings. "It's just different from the rest. Just as people are different, turtle-ducks are also born in all shapes and sizes."

Zuko scowled, unpleased with the answer but accepting it. "It's still weird," he noted. He saw the family once more leave the small duck. His face softened as the duck let out a quack of despair at the others leaving it again, finding himself sympathising with the creature. "It looks lonely…"

Ursa nodded, her expression dropping as her son witnessed the pathetic animal. "Its difference makes it no better or worse than any of the others, Zuko, but at the same time, it causes it terrible loneliness." Ursa glanced at her son, whom she feared might be too different from others, earning him ostracism. Gently, she made the boy face her, her eyes rife with concern. "But listen to me, my child, no matter how lonely one's difference makes them, they must not forget who they are but accept themselves. There is no shame in it, but there is plenty of reward."

Although Zuko nodded, he understood little of what his mother was trying to mean, and found it inapplicable to the turtle-duck, which probably did not wonder about such things. Turning back to the pond, Ursa soon heard a throat clear and turned once more, regarding the servant with a slight look of astonishment. The servant nodded in understanding but continued to deliver his message, whispering to the woman that a message from Iroh had arrived. She noted that it seemed he had delivered gifts for the children, as he sometimes did, and stood up, collecting Zuko and her younger daughter, Azula.

The woman led the children to a common room, where other servants were standing, expecting her, with the gifts. Zuko smiled with glee at the sight of the gifts and Azula scowled, noting the doll resting on the pillow next to the dagger. Ursa took the scroll in front of the two gifts and sat on a nearby chair, beginning to read the message from Iroh. As the woman read, Zuko was handed his dagger with the small inscription, while Azula was then given her doll from the Earth Kingdom. To Zuko's curiosity, Ursa stopped reading and instead her expression changed to an apprehensive one, wondering if Iroh had made the right choice. "Where?" Ursa said, standing up once more.

The servant nodded and motioned for the other two to reveal the young girl. Ursa glanced at the small female, almost gasping in surprise. The girl had been found in a forested area near Ba Sing Se, without knowledge of the language, customs, or even basic forms of communications. According to the letter in which Iroh had sent, they planned on keeping her with the soldiers to use as a messenger as the siege continued, but found it was far too difficult and costly to keep such a young female with them. Hesitantly, Ursa approached the child, who continued to stare about her in wonder.

Iroh had written that she was peculiar, but Ursa had not been anticipating what she saw. The girl was small in stature, and obviously underweight and overly fragile, with large, brown eyes that seemed almost bug-like on her small face. Bruises were apparent all over her body, to which Iroh had informed that she bruised easily, a large purple mark forming even when she fell on grass. Her skin, however, was pale in colour, and appeared unhealthy along with the rest of her. The most distinguishing characteristic Ursa saw was, obviously, her long, straight, and peculiar coloured dark, hot pink hair with a darker hue, appearing more like fuchsia, which reached just below her chest. At the moment, as Ursa had read, she had no name, and even when she seemed to understand the question, she refused to reveal the name.

At the sight of Ursa, the girl clumsily retreated, her head almost comically large in relation to her body. Ursa smiled gently at her, attempting to gain her trust. Iroh's wishes perplexed Ursa, who understood how Iroh would want Zuko to have a friend, but failed to fully understand why he would request Zuko keep her as a personal servant, or in harsher terms, a slave. Then again, knowing her husband, Ursa knew that the girl would never be allowed to stay in the palace unless Iroh's requested profession for her was met, and the girl had nowhere else to go. The last thing Ursa wanted was another homeless child in the nation, and more so, with such an unusual hair colour, Ursa worried about the girl's future should she be let out of the palace walls. Even the servants seemed to find it unfamiliar and frightening, secretly whispering remarks about the girl.

Ursa extended her hand in greeting, to which the girl only stared in confusion. "Can you understand me?" Ursa asked, making sure what Iroh had said proved to be true. The girl only stared at her, unsure of what she was trying to say. Looking at the woman's palm, she quickly touched it and withdrew her hand, wondering if she had completed the assigned task. Ursa only sighed in response, knowing the girl truly couldn't understand her. "Hello…do you know your name?" Ursa attempt to gesture her question, but the girl only kept staring, confused.

"Hello," she piped up, smiling. She quickly looked down and scratched her thick bangs, which were swept to the side, pulling out some dirt and a knot of hair. Ursa smiled as the girl appeared to be fixing herself up, noticing how highly the other servants were regarding the woman.

Ursa extended her hand and brushed her fingers through the child's locks, noting how brittle it was, as well as the small pieces of dirt falling off it. For a moment, Ursa wondered if that was due to her time with Iroh, or her previous conditions when they found her. Considering it seemed to appear more so like rubble from a wall, Ursa figured it was more likely from the siege. "Your name…" Ursa urged, unsure if 'hello' was the only word she knew how to say. She pointed to herself, gaining the girl's attention. "Ursa…my name is Ursa," the woman said gently, making sure not to frighten the child. The girl only nodded, seeming to understand. Ursa then pointed at her, hopeful. "You're name is…? Name. My name Ursa…your name…"

The girl slowly nodded as Ursa continued her gestures between them. "Name," she repeated, pointing at Ursa. "Ursa…" The girl stared at the princess for confirmation, to which Ursa gave by nodding. The child then pointed at herself, confused. "Name…" she repeated once more, but shook her head afterwards, unknowing of what she was supposed to say. Soon, she simply sat down on the ground, distracted by the reflection it gave. That was the first time she had ever seen the ground give a reflection.

Just as Iroh had written, the girl would not give her name, although in his experience with her, she did seem to know it. Ursa sighed with resignation and turned towards her two children, seeing that Azula had set the doll ablaze. Looking down in disappointment at her daughter's lack of gratefulness, Ursa simply faced the two, motioning Zuko forward. "We're having a talk, young lady," Ursa said in a chastising tone, motioning her off.

Azula only huffed, however, wondering why Zuko was called forward. "Why do I have to leave? Zuko's staying so I should as well!" she protested, but her mother only gave her a stern look, afraid that Azula may be too much for the dirty child to handle. Zuko was far gentler than Azula, and far more kindly. On top of that, the girl was to be given to Zuko as a gift and friend; therefore it was both wise and reasonable that he be introduced to her first. Reluctantly, Azula soon left, muttering her disdain for her mother's preference of Zuko. As much as Ursa wanted to disagree with her, she didn't want to start an argument in front of the new girl, and therefore let her go but planned to bring it up in their later talk.

Ursa placed her hand on Zuko's shoulder as he stared up at her, confused. "Zuko," she began, leading him towards the two servants accompanying the young girl, "Be tender towards her. She is new here."

Zuko nodded, although not understanding whom she was talking about. Soon, however, Ursa motioned towards the girl and Zuko stared in surprise and some fear at seeing something so unfamiliar. Quickly, he hid behind his mother's dress, shocked at the sight of the female child. "Who is she, mom?" Zuko asked as the girl looked up at him from her exploration of the reflecting floor. The girl also seemed frightened by Zuko as he spoke desperately to his mother. With a squeal, she jumped behind one of the servants and shivered, covering her head. "What is she doing here? What's wrong with her? Why is she so weird? Why is her hair like that?"

"Zuko!" Ursa quickly reprimanded, walking slowly towards the now frightened girl. Ursa had no idea how old she was, but figured she couldn't have been that far off from Zuko's age. Soon, she held out her arms towards her, knowing children saw it as a universal sign of affection. Slowly, and still staring at the reflecting floor, the girl walked towards Ursa, wondering if her extended arms meant that she was well liked. Once she reached her, Ursa gently gave the child a small hug, assuring her she was safe. Soon, the woman turned back towards Zuko, motioning him closer. "There's nothing wrong with her. She's just different…like we talked about."

"But…" Zuko stared at the girl, confused. "Fine. But normal heads aren't that big."

Ursa chuckled, shaking her head. "She just has a small body." It worried Ursa how underfed the girl appeared and wondered how Iroh could not give her more food. The girl looked back and forth between Zuko and Ursa before finally twirling her hair, growing nervous. "Zuko…she is from your uncle. He found her in a forest alone and decided to send her here to be your friend."

Even for Zuko, that made little sense, and he regarded her strangely. "Huh? What do you mean? Why'd he send me a friend?"

Ursa sighed, knowing it was going to be more complicated. "He couldn't keep her with him. So instead, he sent her to us so that we could take care of her, and so you can have your own friend in the palace while Azula plays with hers."

For a moment, Zuko eyed the girl, biting his lips in curiosity. "What's her name?"

"We don't know."

Zuko approached the girl slowly and she began backing away, threatened by his imposing 'big kid' nature. "Where are you from?" Zuko asked the girl, who only stared at him in puzzlement. The girl eyed him for a moment, trying to guess his age. In her village, older boys had never been the nicest people towards girls her own age, so she readied herself for any potential bullying Zuko might inflict on her, looking around to see which direction to run.

Ursa shook her head towards him, earning her a wondering look from the boy, who was unable to understand what she meant. "Zuko, she doesn't speak our language. We know very little about her…"

Turning back to his mother, Zuko regarded her inquiringly. "What else do you know?"

It was an expected question, but one Ursa wasn't sure she could answer accurately. "She bruises easily, she doesn't want others to know her name, and she was supposed to be a messenger for Iroh during the siege. That's all I know. You're father doesn't know about her yet, and I prefer it that way for now." Ursa touched the girl's bony arm and noticed she shook at the contact. From the looks of the child, she appeared to be a sickly girl, probably due to the malnutrition. Ursa stood up and scooped the girl into her arms, earning a cry of protest from the child, who now shook in utter terror at the concept of being taken by the unknown. Glancing at her son, Ursa noted how light the girl was, and figured she had to feed her first. "Zuko, go outside and play. I'll get her ready for you."

Zuko furrowed his eyebrows, unknowing how he was going to play alone outside. "But…I don't want her. She's too weird."

"Zuko!"

Zuko only stood his ground, folding his arms. He truly did not want the girl as his friend, as she seemed more like a burden than anything else. "No, mom. I can't even talk to her, so how are we going to play?"

Ursa rubbed her temple, distressed and worried, while the young girl stared at the floor, wondering why her reflection was so blurred when it had been clear not too long ago. "There are more ways to communicate with her…we just have to be creative." With that, Ursa left, unable to tell her son that while both Iroh and herself would call her a friend, she would have to introduce her as a servant, Zuko's servant. For the while, she wanted her son to treat the new girl as he would any other person, instead of his personal server.

As Ursa took her to get fed, the girl started mumbling something, letting out a few choked sobs. Ursa did not know, but the girl missed her own mother, and while Ursa carried her, she wondered what her parents were doing. For a moment, she wondered if they would try to find her, and hoped they would, feeling alone with the new unusual strangers. Soon, however, the girl began to grow curious about the boy she had seen and was able to at least connect that the woman and the boy were mother and son.

Upon reaching the small dining room, Ursa ordered for some foodstuffs to be brought over and set the girl on the table, seeing she appeared far too weak to lift herself up from the chair. Once the food was brought, Ursa set it in front of her and motioned her to eat. The girl, however, only scowled at the food as she picked it up and soon set it back down, finding it distasteful. To appease the woman, however, from taking any extra measures, the girl took one grape and set it her mouth, chewing slowly. It was uncomfortable for her to do so, but considering the woman then smiled, she would continue. Soon, the girl had eaten three grapes, and had even gone so far as to eat half of a banana, which she found difficult to stomach.

Ursa left, satisfied that the girl was eating, and let the child eat alone. However, as soon as she left, the girl only spit out whatever she had in her mouth and wiped her lips, unable to continue eating. Despite her somewhat wanting to continue to eat, she could no longer force the food into her mouth, and instead pushed it away, intent on letting Ursa know she had eaten her fair share. There was simply something stopping her, an unfathomable fear that she couldn't quite fully understand, but she at least knew part of it was the desire to remain thin, just like her own mother. No matter how much she tried, she simply could not force herself to eat. She almost hated the concept of nourishment, for that would mean weight gain among other unknown consequences that she understood little about. No, food was evil, along with obesity and everything food caused. She could controll at least that much of her life.

Suddenly, a loud ringing began in the girl's head, and per usual, she held it, shutting her eyes and wishing it went away. Just like her mother had ordered her to do, she began to hum and try to drown out the scratching that soon began. She shivered as the sensation crawled up her back and seemed to wrap itself around her skull, pressing against her very mind. It was just a little monster. It was little just like her so she didn't need to be afraid of it. The girl looked up and cried out for her mother, a sudden emptiness and feeling of loneliness washing over her. Soon, she began to wonder if she had been left behind by her family due to her inability to be their perfect daughter. She hated the thoughts and feelings that occurred every time the little monster came back, and so she cried out, unable to understand the perplexities of her mind. All she knew, however, was that she was simply sad. She was very sad. She was lonely and she was nothing. Her mother…she wanted her mother. Every child wants their mother and she wanted hers.

Ursa ran back towards the child after hearing her in the corridor, alarmed by her sudden shouts. Upon opening the door, she saw the girl had pushed the bowl of food over and destroyed them all, and now sat underneath the table, holding her head while calling out to someone, most likely her mother. A wave of sympathy overtook Ursa as she approached the child, and for a moment, she imagined Zuko being placed in the same situation, and Ursa found herself unable to handle the grief the thought provoked. "Don't cry, child," Ursa said soothingly, taking the girl into her arms. "Everything's alright. You're safe here…I promise." Despite knowing the child couldn't understand her, she knew her voice would be enough to calm her, and she proved herself correct. Soon, the girl placed her arms down as the ringing subsided and the monster left, resting against the boy's mother. Ursa began humming to her, unknowingly helping further soothe her. Unbeknownst to Ursa, the girl's mother would often hum the child a lullaby to quell her cries.

Zuko waited outside in the garden for his mother to return with his new friend, although he thought it strange that they would get him one. For a moment, he wondered if he actually looked so lonely as to have people truly feel he needed to be sent a friend. It wasn't as if he had no-one to play with, and he actually did often play with Azula, however unbearable that was. Sometimes the servants were even willing, and some of them brought along their own children for him to interact with. On top of that, Azula's friends usually accepted him in their activities, which he found himself wanting to partake in, of course, only to be closer to Azula's prettiest friend, Mai. Therefore, he never considered himself truly lonely.

Of course, he wasn't going to protest it anymore, and wondered maybe having his own friend would be beneficial. He could play whenever he wanted, and he could have her do what he want, instead of him having to follow all of Azula's game rules. He could make his own rules, and his own games, and he could be the leader! That's right, he didn't need to listen to anyone. Technically, she was sent to him to be his friend, so he didn't have to obey her in any way. She had to listen to him. Plus, his family was the one taking care of her, so she was the beggar in the situation. Now that Zuko truly thought about it, he grew somewhat excited at finally being the boss. It already felt great being the boss and he hadn't even bossed her around yet!

Soon, as he began playing by himself, he heard some footsteps and turned to see Ursa and the young girl, the girl having been bathed and changed by the servants. Her hair was now smooth and clean, which delighted her, and her skin returned to its ivory complexion rather than the dirty paleness it was before. Her new dress was red in colour, and appeared just like all of the other servant uniforms with a sash tied tightly around her waist upon her request. She twirled it around occasionally, liking the swooshing sound it made when she turned. The girl smiled warmly towards him, unsure of what else she was supposed to do. "Name…?" the girl said, asking Zuko his name. She remembered Ursa calling him Zuko, but had to make sure that was a name instead of a title of some sort. Then she would attach his name and title together.

Ursa chuckled, urging the girl to walk towards Zuko. She was hesitant, obviously frightened by the idea, and yelped towards Ursa at the sight of the woman beginning to step back. Zuko approached her, looking towards his mother, unsure if she truly wanted him to befriend the girl. His mother only smiled gently at the boy and motioned him towards the child. Perhaps her son would be the one to find out her name. She decided not to tell him about her being a servant until later on, when he had already had a chance to know the child.

Ursa began walking away, leaving the two kids alone to do what they wish. She wouldn't leave the garden, of course not, she would simply watch from a distance. In order for them to be comfortable without feeling obligated to get along, Ursa felt she needed to be farther away from the picture. Still, she wouldn't stop watching her son, her protective instincts refusing to leave him completely alone. As she sat down on the other side of the garden, she couldn't help but chuckle as both kids had no idea what to do, and Zuko began trying to talk to her, raising his voice. Ursa didn't agree with him, but figured he would find out that regardless on the volume, she still could not comprehend what he said.

Zuko sighed, rubbing his head. He forgot about the language barrier and didn't think of a different way of talking to her. Placing his arms akimbo, he simply observed her for a brief moment, almost smiling when he finally saw her make a move towards the pond. At least she was finally doing something. Instinctively, he began following her but soon stopped, realising something was terribly wrong. He was supposed to be the leader, not her! Why was he following her anyway? She should've been following him! To make a point, Zuko turned and walked the other direction, clearing his throat to catch her attention.

The girl turned towards him, distracted from her journey to the pond. Zuko looked at her expectedly and motioned her to walk towards him. Confused, she obeyed anyway, following him. They began walking together, Zuko making sure he stayed in the lead, and soon he realised he was just leading them in circles. At least he was the one leading them at all. She stared at him, choosing not to complain about the redundant walk, and simply smiled, although wondering if he knew anymore than she did. "Name?" she asked once more.

Zuko had forgotten she had asked that, and turned towards her, unsure but returning her smile. "Zuko…Prince Zuko. Crown prince of the Fire Nation," he replied, slightly proud although reminded that his father was grooming Azula, not him, for the throne. "What about you…what's your name?"

"Name?" she asked, pointing at herself. She pointed at Zuko, wanting to make sure she was correct with his identity. "Zuko…Prince Zuko."

Zuko nodded, "Yeah, call me Prince Zuko. It's more appropriate."

She only stared blankly at him, "Prince Zuko?"

Zuko nodded once more, becoming irritated with her constant questions on the same topic. "Yes! My name is Zuko but call me Prince Zuko!"

"…Zuko? Prince Zuko?"

"Prince Zuko! It's Prince Zuko! What can possibly be so hard about that?"

The girl quickly silenced herself at his outburst and began to shiver in a fit of fear. She wondered if that was when he was going to start his bullying and turned her head quickly, ready to run at the first shove. Turning back to him, she looked down, afraid to ask him just to verify. Still, she swallowed a wad of spit and took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn't shout so loudly again. "Prince Zuko?" she asked, making sure she had the right name.

Zuko groaned and hit his head, frustrated already with the girl. "Yes!" he exclaimed, nodding once. The girl then smiled, understanding. Never in his ten years of existence had he ever had to deal with something as irritating as someone who could not speak like him. How was he going to boss her around? How was she going to understand what to play? There were so many questions and he couldn't ask her a single one! "Now, what's your name?"

The girl pointed at herself once more, feeling guilty that she could not understand more of what he was saying. "Name?"

Zuko nodded; relieved he didn't have to repeat himself five-hundred times. "Yes, what is your name?"

The girl eyed him for a while before shrugging, refusing to tell him. She knew very well what her name was, but she had chosen not to speak it to anyone outside of her village. Zuko waited for a while, once more growing impatient that she did not give him her name. "Don't you have a name? What's your name?" he persisted, although making sure to keep the volume of his voice down. Once more, she shrugged, and scratched her head, the cleanliness of it all bothering her somewhat. Zuko sighed, and looked around, wondering what he was going to do. "Well, since you don't know your name, or won't tell me, whatever it is, I'll just give you a new name." Turning back to the girl, he realised that he had no idea what to name her, or even if she would allow herself to be renamed. "How about…Guan-yin? Do you like it?" He repeated the name inquiringly and pointed at her, motioning if she wanted the name.

At the sound of the name, the girl scowled and shook her head, understanding what he was trying to do. She honestly wouldn't mind a new name, and considered it something people in her village would do in her situation. She had heard that those who leave the village for the Earth Kingdom did give themselves new name; therefore she figured it was normal. Once more, she didn't mind Zuko giving her the name, considering it nice that she had a selection. Zuko once more sighed and went back to thinking, never having expected to name a girl. "How about," he began, thinking of a new name, "Mingmei…?"

The girl thought about it, liking that name more so that the last one. Still, she found it distasteful and shook her head once more. It was a nice name, but one she couldn't see having. Zuko sighed, having trouble thinking of the names. "Alright, what about Chu-hua?" Zuko asked and the girl shook her head, pursing her lips. "Hmm…Jia Li?" The girl shook her head and Zuko groaned, close to giving up. "Qiao? Tai? Um…Xiao-xing? Fang for goodness sakes?" At each name, the girl shook her head, disliking each one more so than the other. Fang was her least favourite. Tai make a strong case, along with Mingmei, but she disliked both considerably enough. Giving up, Zuko shook his head, frustrated. "You know what? I'm naming you what I want and you're going to like it!" With that, he stormed off, thinking of names.

The girl nodded, having no idea what he said but agreeing with whatever he decided. Once more, she returned to her journey across the garden to the mysterious and murky pond. In her adventure, she encountered alien species, such as a frog and small, strange beetles on the flowers. Based on their appearance, she split them into two enemy camps, in which the flowers would be their bases. The prettier bugs, obviously, were the good guys, while the ugly bugs were the bad ones. She was going to make sure that the lonely caterpillar and the sympathetic beetle by his side were defeated before the start of the Ugly Bug Ball. Then, she would be victorious on the Pond of Mystification.

Making her way to the pond, she gently flicked the uglier bugs out of her way, although making sure they weren't killed. According to her grandmother, it was always bad luck to kill a bug. Zuko spotted her doing this and slowly made his way over as she continued her imagined journey. Kneeling beside her, Zuko tried to understand what she was doing, and soon began flicking all bugs aside, although was soon stopped by the girl. She shook her head and began talking to him in her own language, informing him that the ugly bugs were the enemies, such as the Praying Mantis, beetles, and cockroaches, and the pretty bugs were the friends, such as the Ladybugs, butterflies, and snails since they had pretty shells. Slugs were enemies, however.

Zuko only stared at her, having no idea what she was saying. Her voice sounded nice, however, seeming almost coated with honey to him. For a moment, he wondered if his confusion is what she constantly felt, and soon shook his head, motioning he couldn't understand. The girl stopped talking, realising the dilemma and simply took his hand, flicking an ugly bug away, but wagging her finger at a prettier one, making sure Zuko would not hit it. "So…only hit beetles?" Zuko asked, which earned a look of confusion from her. Once more, she repeated the motion, and Zuko saw she flicked a worm that time. Soon, he began to pick up on the bugs as he continued to observe her game and began playing with her.

Ursa looked up from her thoughts at the sound of laughter and stood up, walking slightly closer to the source of the sound. Towards the distance, on their way to the pond, the two children seemed to have started playing with each other, each one picking up bugs to go against each other in battles. With Zuko's suggestion, since all the pretty bugs were on their side, they had to do their fair share of fighting. It took a while for her to understand, but she managed, and collected a small army of ladybugs while Zuko got colourful caterpillars. The butterflies weren't collected, considering they weren't very willing to participate. For some reason, they simply kept flying away no matter who tried explaining it to them.

Ursa chuckled as Zuko and the girl began cheering for their team once the bugs were all collected. Despite her being worried about them playing with the insects, she still felt joy at seeing her son truly befriending the new girl. The bugs, much to the surprise of both Zuko and the girl, were being strangely cooperative, and some ran off in a different direction while others began stomping on each other. The ugly bugs, however, were winning, as the caterpillars simply began eating twigs and leaves, and the lady bugs lumbered clumsily along the ground. Some spiders soon joined their beetle companions and began attacking the lady bugs. Zuko huffed, disappointed. "We need stronger bugs. We're going to have to use uglier bugs…ugly bugs always have more strength," Zuko said and the girl only furrowed her eyebrows, wondering what he said.

She responded in her own tongue, pointing at the insects. Soon, she got on her knees and began flicking away the other bugs, ordering Zuko to continue to the pond and send for backup. Zuko, understanding from her gestures, only shook his head and kneeled beside her. "We're humans, we can take them," he said smugly, flicking them along with the girl. They continued and soon they managed to free their fellow mates. Unfortunately, however, a swarm of ants arrived as Zuko accidently pressed his palm against an anthill. There was a sudden, sharp pain on his hand as the ants began biting into his skin, and he quickly pulled back from the hill, hissing. "Ow!" he exclaimed, scratching his aching fingers and palm. "They bit me! It hurts!"

The girl stared at his swelling hand and her eyes widened, surprised. Quickly, she took his healthy hand and led him across the garden, towards his mother. As soon as they reached the woman, Ursa saw Zuko's face twisted in pain while the girl babbled on incoherently, although she truly was trying to explain what had happened while apologising that Zuko had become a casualty. Ursa's expression quickly changed and she placed her hand on both the children, leading them away. "How did this happen, Zuko?" Ursa asked, and the girl kept trying to apologise. "Let me see your hand."

Obeying her, Zuko held out his bitten hand, causing Ursa to sigh with worry. It wasn't anything dangerous, but she still didn't appreciate that it happened. "It wasn't my fault! I was playing with her, like you told me, while trying to think of a new name, and ants bit me! She was the one who came up with the game in the first place!"

"Yes," Ursa conceded, close to chiding him, "But you did decide to play along with her, so it wasn't her fault."

"It wasn't my fault either!"

As Ursa ordered some of the servants to get her cold water, she turned back towards Zuko and the frightened girl, and simply shook her head. "It was no-one's fault, Zuko. You shouldn't always be placing blame on others."

Zuko huffed, scratching his hand. "But it wasn't me! It was her stupid game!"

"She didn't force you to participate just like she didn't force the ants to bite you."

"Why are you defending her? She's just a stranger here!"

Ursa gasped, while finally the girl broke down in tears, upset and desperate to know what was going on. "Zuko! No-one is a stranger here! She's going to live with us now so she's just as part of the palace as any other servant and even us! She's just a little girl, darling, she had no idea you were going to get hurt and she probably feels terrible for it."

Zuko scowled while his mother took his hand and dipped it into the cold water, washing over the forming bumps. He hissed softly at the new sensation, although he attempted to cover his pain. "She shouldn't be the one crying," Zuko muttered, glancing at the now tearful girl. "It's not like anything bit her."

Ursa shook her head and motioned one of the servants towards the girl. "Hum to her," Ursa ordered, knowing it was effective in calming her down. "Any sound will do." The female servant obeyed and went to the girl, stretching out her arms. Soon, the woman hummed a small tune she remembered from her own childhood and slowly, the girl approached her, attracted by the comforting sound. Zuko kept staring at the girl while she soon began to hum as well, disliking the feeling of her body when she cried. Her eyes burned while her throat grew increasingly sore, and her very bones seemed to rattle underneath her skin. Her nose grew red and stuffy, along with unusually itchy, and she shivered more so than usual.

Zuko looked down in some guilt, unknowing that the girl probably felt the same amount of fault for what had happened to him. Still, he felt guilty for having spoken so accusingly towards her when she truly had done nothing wrong. At that moment, he found it in himself to simply forget about the incident, earning a smile from Ursa. However, his hand was still stinging. "So," Ursa began, tending to her son, "You're going to give her a new name?"

Zuko looked up at the woman and nodded, glad that she had remembered him saying that. "Yeah…do you know any names for her? She doesn't like anything, so I'm just going to choose one and that's it."

Ursa smiled and soon chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, look at her and tell me what you think her name would be."

Nodding, Zuko did as he was told and glanced at the girl, observing her. Still, no matter how hard he stared or tried to figure it out, his mind could only think of one thing. "Piggy," he finally responded, noting her overall pinkness. She looked like a pig in the oversized clothing.

"I'm going to have to disagree." Standing up and letting her son go back to the garden, Ursa made sure the girl was doing well, and saw the servant was growing fond of her as she continued to hum out of enjoyment. "Think carefully," Ursa told Zuko, returning to her spot to observe them.

Zuko sighed and approached the girl, extending his good hand towards her. "Come on, let's go play at the pond…before Azula gets here with her own friends and hogs everything."

Despite not having a clue what he said, the girl still took his hand and followed him, apologising all the way to the pond, uncaring whether or not he understood. Now that the girl thought about it, perhaps it was better that he couldn't understand anything, since she was then free to talk about whatever she wanted with him and he couldn't possibly say anything judgmental or mean in return. Then again, she didn't want to sound too arrogant, considering she was in his home. As they reached the pond, Zuko took out some pieces of bread he had saved and gave one to her, instructing her to throw it into the water.

For a moment, the girl looked at him as if he had gone mad, unable to believe he really would waste perfectly good food. Not that she minded throwing the pieces to the water, but she just had never encountered anything similar to it before. Shrugging, she decided to go on and do as she was ordered, throwing a small chunk of bread in. To her surprise, turtle-ducks began to swarm the area, each one racing to each bread piece. Soon, Zuko saw she was enjoying herself, happily throwing bread to the creatures. Without much thought, the girl began to hum, mimicking the sound of the birds above her head, resting on the trees.

As Zuko fed the ducks himself, he couldn't help but look at her while she softly hum and sometimes even sang a single note. It seemed as if she were replying to the birds' melodies, or even soothing the ducks in front of her. Turning back to the pond, he saw once more the strangely coloured duck with its crippled wing as the unfortunate creature attempted to consume its share of bread, although its peers quickly out swam him to the food. Favouring the small turtle-duck, Zuko leaned over the pond and dropped the bread right in front of it, smiling as the duck leaned down and finally had its share.

As he turned back to the girl, he noted her humming had risen in volume, matching the birds' own raised singings. Soon, he began to realise that she wasn't trying to challenge or respond to them, but rather join them in their melodies. The birds sang to attract mates, and Zuko began to wonder why she hummed. Thinking back to his mother's advice to simply search for a name through her, he returned his gaze at the pond, listening to the girl's soft humming and occasional singing with the birds. As he had witnessed before, music was quick to calm her, just as in many other children.

As she continued to hum, she glanced at him, smiling for a moment before singing a soft, although high-pitched note. It was strange of him to think so, but he began to notice how everything about her seemed soft and tender. Even her content expression emitted its own strange peace, a gentleness which Zuko considered almost alien. Soon, it dawned on him, and he found himself standing up and facing her, knowing what to call her. "Melody," Zuko declared, gladdened by his final decision. The girl stared at him, wondering what he was talking about. "Your name," he began once more, pointing at her, "Melody."

The girl focused her gaze at him for a moment, realising that he had just named her Melody. For a moment, she contemplated the name, and mouthed it. "Melody," she finally repeated, smiling as she did. The name itself sounded as if it could be easily sung. There was something soothing about it which she couldn't understand, and she found herself growing fond of the name. "Melody." She nodded towards him, glad he had chosen such a name, and Zuko smiled triumphantly, having found the perfect name for the new girl.

"So that's it, your name is now Melody." Excited by this, he approached her, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards his mother. He had grown increasingly eager to tell his mother of her new name, and how he had discovered it all by himself. Melody simply smiled as he finally reached his mother, telling the woman of her new name. In all truths, Melody truly was fond of her new name, and repeated it softly, happy that he hadn't chosen something as horrid as Guan-yin.

* * *

**So, this time around, Melody doesn't actually sing anymore. She will in due time, but, considering she doesn't know the language (and I don't want to use any songs that involve copyright), she'll just hum.**

**In an extreme internal struggle while recreating the story, I've decided to keep Melody's hair. The simple solution to this is just ignore it. Her hair is an indispensable quality, and despite the Mary Sue hunters giving me grief over it, I refuse to remove it. It's as simple as that. I won't limit my imagination or my options on the whims of people who have become obsessed with destroying "Mary Sues". That's silly.**

** I hope you've enjoyed anyway. Thank you for reading. I realise the chapters are long.**

**-SS  
**


	2. Promise

**CHAPTER 2. **

**This should be a shorter chapter. This was originally part of the first chapter, but once I realised the first chapter was over 7,000 words long, I figured I had to cut it. **

**Enjoy and feel free to inquire or critique.**

**Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender, does not belong to me.  
**

* * *

Days passed and Melody was soon introduced to Azula, who had grown upset that her uncle would send Zuko both a dagger and a new servant while she got stuck with a useless and demeaning doll. It wasn't as if she was some weak little girl obsessed with clothing and toys. She was a firebending prodigy and her father's favourite; therefore the old man should've been wiser with his choice of gifts. Of course, although Azula knew of Melody's destined servitude to Prince Zuko, she was forbidden by her mother to tell, though that never stopped her before, but that time, she might as well since he might get cocky over Iroh's preference of him. "She doesn't even speak like us, so what's the whole point of playing with her?" Azula complained, turning away from the two as Zuko instructed her in a new game, that time to be played with Azula.

As usual, Azula made all the rules, and ordered Zuko to translate for her, despite him not knowing the language. Of course, Azula had only insisted he used his gestures and make himself seem like an idiot for all she cared, as long as everyone understood the rules perfectly. "She's learning so leave her alone," Zuko replied, defending Melody as she struggled to understand whatever game they were trying to play. Zuko touched the red wall, indicating that in their tag game, the red wall was a safe zone. "Safe…she can't tag you here," Zuko explained, tagging Melody lightly and shaking his finger. Zuko then led Melody away from the wall, where he tagged her once more, and nodded. "Now she can tag you." Repeating the motions, Melody was finally able to understand, and Zuko moved on to explain the gold colours mean safety for only three seconds before one had to move.

After the long explanations and gestures, they finally began the game, starting with the decision of who should be it. "I think Melody should be it, considering she's never played before so she doesn't get seniority benefits like we do," Azula argued, which upset Zuko, who had grown closer to the girl in the few days.

"No way, that's not fair. You should be it, you've played the longest," Zuko argued in return while Melody simply became intrigued by the fact that the floors right next to the grass were able to reflect her image. "Melody doesn't know anything about the game, so it's not fair that you're choosing her first."

"Fine, then you're it, Zu-zu," Azula coolly proposed, unshaken by his quarrel.

"Wait, I was it last time! It's your turn Azula!"

"It's my game and I decide who's it. If you don't want to be, then the only choice is Melody. So choose, Zu-zu, you or Melody?"

Zuko huffed and looked down, tired of being the one to have to chase her. No, he was done with being the second banana. "Fine," he finally conceded, glancing at Melody. "Melody's it. But go easy on her."

Azula shrugged, standing up to scan the area for a good hiding place. "You can go easy on her if you want, but I'm playing like always."

Zuko groaned and decided he would play as always, although silently feeling guilty for putting Melody in that situation. With Zuko's signal, Melody rose and he began to explain to her that it was her duty to try to find them and then tag them if she could not tag them upon discovery. Once more, he reminded her of the walls and their meanings, and repeated the previous motions, along with a new motion of hiding, and then someone trying to find him. Melody nodded, seemingly able to understand and counted to twenty as she was told, closing her eyes.

While the children played, Ursa sat nearby, resting against a tree. It heartened her to see all the children getting along, although she wasn't so dense as to not notice Azula's manipulative behaviour, even towards Melody, who couldn't understand, yet found herself serving Azula. Soon, as Ursa stared out into the pond, she heard the patter of feet on the grass but figured it was one of her children. Though, upon feeling the small touch of the servant, she turned to the man in surprise and took the scroll from him, reading it quickly. It was news from Iroh, which always distressed her, and as she read, her eyes seemed to darken in grief. Looking up, Ursa closed her eyes and let a tear spill, hearing that Iroh's only son, Lu Ten, was no longer alive.

Upon seeing their mother, the two children stopped, causing the third child to stop as well and look in confusion. Slowly, Azula and Zuko approached Ursa, Zuko worried at the sight of his mother's tear. "Children…I'm sorry to inform you that your cousin, Lu Ten, did not survive the battle," Ursa said solemnly, looking down. Seeing grief imminent on her face, it didn't take much thinking from Melody to figure out that something terrible had happened, and she decided to keep her distance, feeling it inappropriate to include herself in their family.

Two more days passed since that event, and Melody found Zuko increasingly playing with his knife, though he often invited her to join him, allowing her even her own turn with the knife. Of course, that was very brief, considering he was far too eager to play with it himself. Sometimes, he would play a thief while she was a guard, and although being a guard had its disadvantages, she enjoyed the game nevertheless. One day, as Zuko played with his knife, having Melody pretend to take it from him and stab it through his chest, Azula came up to them, sitting on a chair while annoyed at Zuko showing off the impressive knife. "You waste all your time playing with knives; you're not even good," Azula stated, looking away in resentment.

Zuko glared at her, angered by her statement. "Yeah? Well put on apple on your head and we'll see how good I am!" he quickly retorted, slightly frightening Melody.

Azula shrugged, standing up. "You know, uncle's coming home. He gave up the siege after the death of his son, and he's coming back, like a quitter and a loser."

"Shut up! His only son died, he must be really hurt now."

Melody simply stared at the siblings as they argued with each other, beginning to notice that the floors weren't the only things able to reflect images. The pillars themselves caused a reflection! Melody had never seen anything like it. It was simply amazing and confusing all at the same time. Turning towards the nearest pillar, she leaned in closer and saw her reflection sharpened when she was closer as contrasted to her being farther away. Soon, she heard Ursa entering the room and observed as her lips moved and formed incomprehensible words. Though, in all truths, she had simply told the children that their father requested an audience with their grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon.

Azula commented something before being led away by their mother, with Zuko close behind her. Feeling increasingly lonely, Melody followed, wishing she could communicate with the kind family. As she saw Ursa holding her son's shoulder, Melody could not help but think of her own mother, whose hair was a light pink as contrasted with Melody's much darker and hotter tone. Still, Melody longed to see her mother once more, and was even willing to admit that her mother looked considerably skinnier than she did before. Melody held her chest as grief began overwhelming her, and she found herself struggling to continue.

As they began entering the throne room, Ursa stayed behind, knowing her husband would most likely express disappointment in this. "Melody," Ursa said gently, turning towards the girl. "Stay here, you can't go in with us." She motioned towards the door and shook her head, and then soon pointed at the area where she had to stay. Melody nodded, understanding, and soon embraced Ursa, missing motherly attention. Smiling softly, Ursa simply returned her hug, knowing how lonely the child must've felt without her mother or family. "We won't be long." Ursa knew it was pointless to verbally assure her, but it still made the woman more comfortable. To Melody's protest, Ursa stood up, looking sympathetically at the child before entering the throne room.

Zuko smiled at his arriving mother, however, quickly changing his expression to a more composed one at the start of Ozai's speaking. He began asking questions to Zuko and Azula, all of which Azula answered perfectly, earning contempt from Zuko. Even when he asked about the Battle of Han Tui, Azula was still able to answer perfectly. Satisfied, Ozai nodded towards his daughter, proud. He then ordered her to perform her newest firebending moves, to which Ozai oversaw himself. Performing with confidence, Zuko once more watched in further resentment, wondering why his abilities hadn't developed quite like hers.

"You'll never catch up," Azula whispered, sitting down beside him.

Angered, Zuko stood up, intending to show her wrong. "Grandfather, I would like to show you some of the moves I have been practicing." Ozai's smile quickly turned into a frown at the sound of his son doing such a thing.

Melody was able to peek in to see Zuko's performance and her eyes widened at the sight of them firebending. She had seen some of the men with Iroh doing the same, but she never thought someone as young as Zuko was capable as well. It intrigued her. At trying to do a kick, however, Zuko fell, muttering something. She couldn't see, hear, nor understand, but at least she saw his lips moving.

Fire Lord Azulon, however, was in a less than humorous mood, scowling at the wasted time. "What is this about? Is it that nonsense with the girl Iroh sent?"

Ozai frowned, angered by the mention of the girl. "No, she is nothing more than a servant, Fire Lord Azulon."

Zuko heard his grandfather respond to have them dismissed, but he seemed fixated on the fact his father had just called Melody a servant. Glancing at his mother, he noticed her small look of guilt and nodded slowly towards him, knowing he was questioning it. Melody was nothing more than a servant, not his friend. Soon, it began to dawn on Zuko that Melody wasn't truly sent to be his friend at all, but rather, just what she truly was, his servant. As he contemplated this, he was pulled aside by Azula, who hid them behind a curtain to watch their father's conversation.

Too distraught with the idea that he had thought his own servant a friend, Zuko was barely able to hear his father's request, but had heard enough. "Iroh has suffered enough! You, however, your punishment has barely begun!" Azulon exclaimed, raising the wall of fire in front of him to an extent that frightened Zuko away. Azula only smiled at the scene, uncaring if her brother left or not.

As Zuko ran into the hall, he noticed Melody glancing at the floor, brushing her hair using the reflection it provided. At the sight of him, Melody smiled and faced him, wondering what he was going to propose playing next. Zuko only shook his head, however, running away from her as well. "Mom!" he shouted, running through the corridor. He continued to run, frightened by what he had just seen and distraught with the thought of his only friend being truly false. "Mom!" he called again, louder that time. He wanted to forget about the Fire Lord and his father's request to have Iroh revoked of his birthright. No, he was far too young for that. First and foremost, he would focus on his supposed friend, which was only a lie. "Mom!"

Finally, hearing her son, Ursa quickly came to his aid, finding him distressed and confused. "Zuko, I kn—"

"You told me she was going to be a friend! She was forced into this! She doesn't like me! She probably knows everything I'm telling her and she just won't talk because she doesn't want to be here!"

Ursa's expression softened, knowing how confused the boy must've been. "Zuko, it's true that she is here as your servant, but she can also be your friend. That really is what Iroh wanted. She can't stay with us unless she serves here, and Iroh knew you would be the right boy to guide her into this new life she has." Ursa looked sympathetically at the boy at the sight of him shaking his head, his pride getting the best of him. There was one thing interacting with servants, but befriending them was almost social suicide as a royal. "Melody trusts you…" Ursa informed, causing Zuko to shake slightly. "And I trust you as well. You have a choice, Zuko, and whichever one you make, I know will be the right one."

Zuko looked down, hearing the patter of feet. Despite him being unsure, he didn't have to think long to figure out it was Melody behind him, confused and distressed. She shouted something to him, and he shut his eyes, tired of being unable to understand her. "Prince Zuko!" Melody exclaimed, hoping that would gain his attention. Finally, Zuko turned, conflicted over his view of the girl. He was a prince. She was nothing more than a servant. Melody moved slowly toward him, holding his knife. "Game?" she asked, holding out the knife. Nodding, Melody looked at him desperately, knowing if Zuko did not want her, she was completely alone. "Game?"

Shaking his head, Zuko once more gazed at the floor, glancing at her reflection. "No, Melody. No games tonight. I'm going to sleep." Taking the knife, Zuko shook his head and walked away, still troubled over his father and his servant. As he continued towards his room, he could hear her small sobs of rejection. Even when he was in his room, lying on the bed, he continued to hear her cries, echoing throughout his mind. Melody, on the other hand, simply sat in the servant quarters, looking down at her fingers as an irrepressible despair overwhelmed her, reminding her how worthless she truly was. Standing up, Melody managed to make her way outside, confused by that strange sadness that set over her for sometimes no real reason. Sitting down on the shiny floor, Melody scratched at her thighs, hoping the physical pain would rid her of her sadness.

Hours passed and Melody found herself asleep outside, waking up every once in a while. The first time she had woken up, she saw Azula being dragged by her mother after being in Zuko's room for some unknown reason. Melody simply disregarded it, knowing she couldn't go and ask. Instead, she conformed herself to sleeping on the floor, thinking herself to valueless for a commodity such as a bed. Such an inadequate, unwanted being was not worth even a sheet on the floor, for that was an insult to both objects. Still, Melody folded her arms and brought up her legs at the feel of the small gust of wind, suddenly cooled.

The next day, the girl was woken by the sound of Zuko's desperate voice, calling for his mother. "Mom!" she heard him yell out, and looked up to meet his gaze. Their eyes didn't meet for long, however, and he returned searching for his mother, whom he somewhat remembered telling him that no matter how much things changed, to never forget who he was. His mother was gone now, and he grew increasingly desperate to find her. "Mom!" Zuko yelled again, having exhausted searching through the rooms. Finally, he reached his father who stood quietly by the pond, looking down. "Mom…where is she?" Zuko asked, his eyes widening in fear.

Melody stared at him in confusion, having little idea of what exactly was going on. Slowly making her way towards the boy, she noticed him lowering his head and walking away from the man, attempting to hold in tears. It was then when Zuko knew his mother was gone, and probably for good. Melody, however, still found the situation incomprehensible, and only knew that Zuko was near tears for some reason, and he was calling for his mother. "Prince Zuko…?" Melody asked, bowing her head slightly. Zuko barely paid any attention to her, however, and finally let his tears go, the reality of the circumstances finally setting in. He had lost his mother.

Melody, upon seeing him cry, hesitated in approaching him, knowing that grief was a complicated emotion, and while some suffered alone, others passed their suffering among their companions. Once more, she approached him slightly closer, and finally took the risk of extending her hand in the same fashion Ursa had when she first met the woman. "Prince Zuko…" Finally gaining his attention, she pointed at herself. "Name…Melody." She remembered how happy he was when he named her, and futilely attempted to remind him in hopes of seeing him once more become happy. Looking around, Melody felt something amiss, finding it strange to see Zuko's father instead of his mother. "Ursa?"

Zuko only stared at her for some time, and eventually shook his head, still grief-stricken. "She's gone, Melody," he began, his voice beginning to break. "Mom's gone."

Melody only stared at him, confused. "Ursa…gone?"

Shutting his eyes, he nodded, irrationally angered. "Yes! She's gone! She's no longer here!" For a moment, he motioned towards his mother's usual spot and shook his head, his tears escaping him once more. "Why can't you understand that? You've already been here for almost two weeks and you're still as stupid as when you first came! When I say my mom's gone, she's gone, got it?"

Nodding, Melody stepped back, her entire body shivering at his outburst. She seemed terrified of him, and she was. Hesitantly, Melody lowered her head, deciding she didn't want to see him striking her just in case he did. He didn't, however, and simply covered his face in humiliation at crying so freely. "Prince Zuko," Melody said, her voice quivering. "Melody…here." Zuko faced her, surprised she knew how to say 'here' or what it meant. Melody tapped the ground and pointed at him, although not brave enough to approach him. "Prince Zuko…forever." In all truths, Melody had little clue of what 'forever' meant, hearing it once used by Zuko who complained he had been waiting since 'forever.' She simply guessed it had to do with time, a large amount of time at that.

Zuko only stared at her once more, shocked by her words, however short and disconnected they may have been. "You mean that…? Forever?" He knew it was dumb of him to ask, considering it was impossible for people to be together forever, but at the news of his missing mother, they were consoling words. Zuko, however much he yearned for companionship, truly did prefer to suffer alone, though, he was sure he wouldn't mind her presence, but he would never burden her.

Melody nodded, only understanding one word, but getting the idea of his statement. She knew it was risky, but she finally touched his hand, and found he accepted it. At that moment, Zuko decided that Melody was, first and foremost, his friend, and then she would be his server. Noticing how afraid she was at him, he quickly changed his expression to one of apology for his temper, and soon, at seeing her slowly get closer to him, allowed her to do as she wished. As he somewhat expected, she embraced him, and somehow, he simply just knew exactly what she was trying to say. Through her, he soon discovered that the inability to communicate verbally was only a small hindrance between them, for her actions, expressions, and the very emotion she emitted was enough for him to understand completely and fully.

They spent the rest of the day together, Zuko hearing that his grandfather, Azulon, truly was dead, and then going on to explain it to Melody, who was confused. According to his grandfather's will, Ozai would now become Fire Lord, which puzzled Zuko, who had witnessed his grandfather rebuffing Ozai's request that Iroh's birthright be revoked and given to him. Despite his young mind, Zuko felt something terrible had happened, however, he simply didn't know what. To spare himself the pain of trying to come up with gestures, and getting her more confused about the happenings, he refrained from telling Melody what he had seen after the meeting with Azulon, along with the painful memory of Azula telling him that his father was preparing to kill him.

More days passed and the entire nation prepared for the coronation of a new Fire Lord. As usual, Azula and he were to wear white, the colour of mourning, for Azulon's burial, although it seemed an also appropriate colour for Ozai's coronation. Even Melody, who was at that point recognised as Zuko's personal servant, was to wear white, much to her distaste. Melody, along with whatever servants were to attend, were to wash themselves and dress appropriately, for while it was true they would stand in the back, almost out of sight, they would still be somewhat seen, and had to appear dignified. Some of the female servants appeared hesitant to wash Melody's hair, afraid of the uncertainty caused by the unknown. Therefore, unlike the others, Melody was allowed to keep her hair down, which pleased her, disliking the sensation of a tight hair tie.

As the burial took place, Melody finally saw the corpse of the Fire Lord, and grew frightened by it. It seemed so still and unmoving, cold and detached, that she could not help whimper in utter terror. She shivered as she thought of death as an essence by itself, and shook her head, deciding she was far too young to be thinking about such things. Focusing on Zuko, she saw how confused he looked, and how desperate and still grieving he seemed to be. Fear settled slightly upon the boy as his grandfather's body was set ablaze, and in front of the burning corpse, his father was crowned the new Fire Lord. It was the beginning of a new reign just as the old finally closed. For Zuko, unbeknownst to be him, it was the beginning of many more things.

* * *

**Okay, reveal time. The last chapter had included a small snippet in which Melody refused to both eat, and described an unexplainable sadness. This will continue. Why? The next chapter, I'll explain at the end.**

**In fact, I'm going to explain a lot of things next chapter, including some things about the story and that chapter. That will also be the longest chapter so far. Consider this a nice break. Lol.**

**Thank you for reading.**

**-SS  
**


	3. Birds and Bees

**CHAPTER 3**

**Ha! We have reached the true beginning of what I truly want to do with this story. Although, the last two chapters were kind of hinting at it. If you didn't catch that, well, I'm telling you. There's a purpose here. **

**Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender, does not belong to me.**

* * *

It had been three years since the new Fire Lord was crowned, and three years since the old had died. Despite the immense changes that occurred throughout the palace, the sky seemed to remain the same, the clouds still dragging themselves lazily across the horizons, seemingly heading nowhere. In a far off village, near the Earth Kingdom, east of the Fire Nation, east of all lands, in a small, secluded and mountainous island, one could still hear the mother's lament, as her child had been declared dead for almost two years. The grieving woman would often walk outside her small hut and look up at those slowly inching clouds, hoping that her child, whether she be watching from the heavens or from another land, would stare upon the same white vastness of condensed water, for that was the only thing left for them to share.

The royal palace had been in relative peace for the beginning of Ozai's reign, showing a swift and calm transfer of power. The people outside its walls continued to live their lives, the children going to their schools to learn of the Fire Nation's greatness and superiority, the vendors attempting to send whatever frugal crops or meat they had, the artisans staring at the passing people, hoping to draw inspiration or enlightenment from life as it passed by, and even the old men gathering in a mutual friend's home, discussing the war and the impact of the new rule. The breeze still swayed the trees however, and slightly moved the flowers, sometimes taking some of the attractive petals with it. The small creatures chirped and hid within the vegetation, eating the scraps they stole along with whatever they could find. Life in the Fire Nation, unlike many would believe outside of it, was relatively still, and frankly, not even the slightest unique from the others, with, of course, the exception of the great turmoil which existed outside its borders.

The circle of eight servants stared at each other, each eyeing the other suspiciously. They were mostly young in age, being in their twenties or so, with the exception of two which were in their early thirties. Of course, there was also the youngest at twelve years old, being only one year younger than the crown prince. One of the men opened his mouth to speak up, finally thinking of a truly difficult non-experience to match, as according to their strange game, but slowly, he closed it, finding it wasn't that rare. "Okay," another piped up, an idea in mind. "I have never kissed a girl…" A few of the men groaned as they threw down their bets, each having experienced kissing a girl.

The two females, however, threw nothing down and simply smiled triumphantly. The game was simple by itself. Each member would stake a small bet, and by turn, each would state something they had never done. If the other members have experienced it, they then would have to surrender the bet. It was often played among the servants as a way to know their peers quickly and also humiliate others if the situation arose. For the first time, Melody was finally allowed to play, the other servants finally deeming her old enough to handle the language among them.

The older woman, one of Azula's servants, smiled, knowing it was her turn. Each laid down their stakes, nervous to hear what the woman had to say. Usually, she would be the one to humiliate them all. "Alright, you second-rate good-for-nothing servants. I…have never had sex with a man," she stated, smiling among the men.

Hesitantly, one of them finally threw his bet down, almost hiding his face in shame. The rest laughed and exclaimed in revulsion, being reminded just exactly the enjoyed the game so much. "Seriously? Aw man! We shouldn't have let the twelve-year old join!" one of the younger men, Hao, exclaimed. "That's disgusting."

The other blushed, looking away. "Be quiet already. It was an off day."

Hao only smiled mischievously, almost snickering. "…Were you at least on top?"

"Are you forgetting who's right there?" The other snapped, pointing at Melody, who was intrigued by this revelation.

Melody stared at the man, curious and confused over the practicalities of such an act. "How do two men have sex with each other? Boys don't have a vee-vee," Melody stated, truly pondering the possibility.

The other servants only gazed at her in mortification and thought, unsure of how to address her question. Hao finally cleared his throat, motioning towards her small possessions in which she would place a bet with. "We'll tell when you're thirty or fifty-five…or when the war ends, whatever comes last." The rest muttered in agreement, looking back down. Some coughed in the awkward situation while others cleared their throat, knowing Melody was still looking at them, puzzled. "Your turn."

Melody nodded, trying to think of a good one which would earn her all their bets. For some reason, her mind drifted to Zuko, and she smiled as she finally thought of something. "Alright, I've got a good one," Melody said and slightly giggled, preparing to say the big word again. It always tickled her when she said it. "I have never had a sex dream with any members of the royal family…" Sex was such an adult word, it made her giggle with false maturity at hearing herself saying it.

Looking around, they all sighed and threw down their bets, handing them over to her. Some shook their heads while admitting whom the dream was about, as well as expressing concern over Melody saying words like 'sex' and thinking about homosexual coitous on top of that. "Princess Ursa," one of them admitted to the other upon hearing the other's dream. Some of them had the strangest choices of family members, but most agreed Ursa was the most desired. The woman, however, quietly admitted that her own dream was actually about Iroh, which earned gasps and exclamations from the men. Then again, while Ozai was the more handsome of the brothers, Iroh was definitely more so the charmer, and not to mention the kinder one.

The child in the midst of reaching her teens, and at the early stages of puberty, simply smiled triumphantly at her prizes, refusing to admit that while she had never had a dream involving anything sexually explicit, she did, in fact, have a dream in where she kissed Zuko. It wasn't any kiss, however, but a rather deep one, which made her fear that they might consider it close enough. She wanted to win all the prizes, and for that, she couldn't call herself out on the lying, or so she thought she might've been lying. Soon, however, at the thought, she remembered how little time she was spending with the prince lately, which never failed to sadden her.

Noticing this, one of the older men in his thirties stopped the next one from revealing something he had never done and motioned his head towards the girl. "Melody, what's on your mind?" he asked kindly, sincerely concerned. He had a child close to her age, about two years younger, and he couldn't help but view all little girls with a type of similar concern he had for his daughter, although nothing compared to his usual worry about his child.

Melody shook her head, looking down while resting her chin on the palm of her hand. None of them seemed to believe her silence and urged her to go on, ready to act as the wiser, older people, despite some of them truly knowing they were simply good servants and not good counselors. "It's just…" she began, hesitant to admit it. "Well…Prince Zuko doesn't want to spend time with me anymore. He's been kind of like that ever since he turned thirteen. I mean, sure he's hit puberty already, but so have I and I still want to spend time together!"

There was a small silence in the room as none could think of anything to say, feeling awkward speaking about a pubescent and pre-pubescent prince and his servant. "Melody," the older man began, figuring he could use the practise of explaining these types of things to Melody before having to have the talk with his own daughter. "First of all, you haven't even begun menstruating."

"I will soon! I can feel it!" Melody protested, folding her arms across her chest. "Plus, I don't have to begin my cycle to start puberty. It's a common misconception…I think. Maybe…I'm not sure actually."

The man raised his hand, stopping her from further interrupting him. "Secondly, Prince Zuko and you are developing differently. You and the prince don't share the same body and gender; therefore you'll both grow in a different way."

Melody pursed her lips and looked down, shrugging slightly. "Different like what?"

The man opened his mouth once more, not quite sure how to explain that one. "Like…" he began, looking around. "Like…um…anyone? Someone feeling brave today? Come on, a pre-teen girl with a question here…I need a lifeline please." No-one spoke up or dared to, earning a look of contempt from the man.

Soon, the woman sighed, shooing them all away. Faster than both the females expected, the men were gone, deciding to return to their duties or find some. Many of the female servants knew the time would come where they each would have to assist Melody in her understanding of the male and female anatomy. However, for more than many, the time was always too soon, and words were far more difficult to form than anticipated. It was during those moments that each woman wished for Ursa's return, knowing the mother would be well-prepared to answer such a perplexing question.

In the end, the woman, Yi, had decided to uptake the endeavor herself, although having no idea how to approach it. All she really knew is the necessity for Melody to hear the coming conversation from female lips…and preferably not one like Hao's. "Different," Yi began, unsure of what to say next. Melody listened intently, certain that the explanation would provide her with enough information to confront Zuko on these supposed changes of growth. "As you know, you're a girl. The crowned prince is a boy. Heh, he wouldn't be a prince if he wasn't. I mean, because otherwise he'd be a princess…but he's not." Melody furrowed her brows, uncertain of what the older woman was talking about, but nodding along anyway.

Sighing, Yi shook her head, slightly pressing the grooves of her nose. "Melody…it's not appropriate after a certain age to act around Zuko the way you had during your childhood. Yes, your childhood isn't over yet, but you're at an age where childhood and adolescence are meeting, and several things are happening to your body. One day, you might see Zuko in a different light than just friend."

Melody cried out in protest, shaking her head wildly. "I don't understand! Just because I get my period soon doesn't mean we can't play together, or even talk together! Why is that inappropriate?"

It was a sad sight, really. A young girl on the cusp of coming of age, unknowing of what is ahead of her, and desperately trying to cling on to the familiar and known. Every child does it, Yi assumed, but how heartbreaking it appeared. "Zuko understands, and as a servant that's all you really need to know. Give him time, Melody. In due time, you'll understand as well. You'll experience new things you never thought possible, and yes, you'll be afraid of them, but that's all a part of growing up. You have questions, and I can tell you that I don't have answers. The answers are found within your own mind and your own understanding. Sometimes, Melody, it's better to live with the uncertainty of life."

Melody nodded, knowing she was expected to stop her questioning and accept the explanation as final. It was beyond her understanding that soon, in an interesting turn of fates, it would be Zuko in her mystified position, as the female body would begin to rapidly develop, while the male lagged behind. It was inevitable, however, that Zuko would surpass her in strength and build, as he was also bound to experience his own spurt of growth, and one more lasting than hers.

On the farther edges of the palace, far from the servants' quarters as proximity to such a location would be considered an insult, the rooms of the royals were situated. They were all grand in style and size, neither finesse nor delicate, but brusque although maintaining good tastes. The rooms varied in largeness, of course, the nobles receiving smaller rooms, while the Fire Lord receiving the largest. Iroh had always chosen to stay within the confines of a humbler environment, having few Fire Nation emblems, but many artifacts and treasures scattered about and placed meticulously.

At times, Zuko stayed with the older man, enjoying his company as well as his tea. Upon his return, Iroh had already taken it upon himself to care and rear Zuko as his son, unbeknownst to the arrogant and hot-headed teenager. If there was one thing he had come to learn of his nephew, it was the boy's struggle with patience. There was a hint of instant gratification that surrounded Zuko, and he found it almost insulting to spurn the prince of his wishes. However, the teen found solace in his uncle's room, and much needed counseling in the matters of the mind and heart.

That day marked the third month Zuko had avoided Melody, and thus, it was no surprise to Iroh that he found the boy in front of him, conflicted over his heart's desires. It didn't take an exchange of words for Iroh to figure out that Zuko had missed Melody's presence, and was unsatisfied with their brief encounters in which he would order to do some menial task. In the boy's mind, it was all he should do, as the intimate interactions of servant and prince were unacceptable. Additionally, should he continue to show too much care for Melody, Mai might interpret it as a sign of disinterest towards her and leave.

As usual, Iroh prepared a small meal and some tea for the both of them, allowing Zuko to take his time to speak and collect his thoughts. "Uncle," Zuko began. "I've noticed father's been busier than usual."

Iroh nodded, agreeing with the boy. Indeed, the fire lord certainly did seem to have a busier schedule with a sudden rejuvenation in the war. More of the Earth Kingdom's western lands have fallen to Fire Nation rule, which led to reinforcements diverted into the area and a new plan in case there is a sudden retaliation attack. "It is an exciting time for the Fire Nation," Iroh said calmly, taking a sip of his tea while a soft smile lingered on the edge of his lips. "The Fire Lord will be busy in these hours."

Zuko found himself speechless and simply busied himself with the small figurines before him, collected from colonies in the Earth Kingdom. "I've been thinking, uncle," Zuko began, once more catching the older man's attention. "Perhaps there's a way to convince my father that I'm worthy to be the next heir, and not Azula." Iroh's eyebrows furrowed at the mention of this, already knowing full well where the conversation was heading. "I've been trained by Piandao with your help, and I need your help again. Uncle, I need to learn more advanced firebending techniques. Azula…I've seen her train, and she's already capable of bending that hotter fire. I can pro—"

"Prince Zuko," Iroh promptly interrupted. "We've spoken about this before. Your time will come. It is best to take your time, and not rush into things. Be patient, my nephew."

Zuko gritted his teeth and shook his head. "How patient, uncle? As time passes on, favour doesn't exactly grow for me! If I want to prove myself to my father, I have to beat Azula!"

"Beating Azula will lead you nowhere, and your way of thought will carry you in circles. If not Azula, then something else will push you to gain your father's approval. Be satisfied, and relax."

It was a tall order for the impetuous prince, and so he disregarded it. Although he knew he could very well practise himself, the effort was almost moot if he was not learning new techniques and movements to improve his firebending efficiency and prowess. Disheartened and irritated, Zuko abruptly stood, causing some of the old general's tea to spill, and earning a small whimper from the older man.

The door to the smaller office suddenly opened with a gentler voice quickly asking for both permission and forgiveness. There was an unspoken tension in the room, and the female stared at the prince while eyeing the furniture. There were three tables in the room, one which was used for formal business, the other to serve tea and whatnot, and the final one where he played Pai Sho. Finding the room to be too uneasy, the girl looked down and waited for the two males to say something, or at least mutter a word of assurance. "Melody," Iroh began, smiling. "Welcome. Would you like some tea as well?"

The smaller female, slightly fuller in figure although still too skinny, shook her head at the offer and shyly looked at Zuko. It soon became awkward between them, as Zuko refused to even glance at the servant, even less give an order. From the corner of his eye, however, he saw how Melody had largely remained the same with the exception of a few anatomical changes. There was a weight of change around Melody's burgeoning breasts and her shrinking waist. Her hips were still narrow, although it showed signs of readiness to expand.

Melody could also see what the servants had spoken to her about. While Melody's body remained small in stature and type, Zuko's shoulders began to broaden, and his face grew stronger and more defined. For a moment, Melody was awed at this change, but she refrained from speech. "Excuse me," Zuko muttered, walking past the girl.

Any other day, Melody would've stayed with Iroh and lamented her rift with the royal and master, but that day, she was resolved to confront him on his behaviour. For no apparent reason did Melody deserve such treatment, other than her inherent worthlessness, but Zuko had long assured her that such a thing would be no issue between them. Therefore, she followed him, much to his irritation. "Prince Zuko," Melody whispered, hurrying to keep up with the young man. "Wait! I want to tell you something."

Upset for reasons beyond the current situation, Zuko stopped and turned towards her, expecting a speedy statement. "What is it?" he questioned. He didn't mean to sound so harsh, but it appeared that way, and so Melody retreated from him.

Melody stared at him for some time, noticing how angered he was becoming at waiting for her to simply state whatever was on her mind. For a moment, he considered making it an order, but instead decided to scoff and turn to walk away. Whatever Melody had to say couldn't be that important, at least he thought. "I miss you," Melody piped up. Zuko stopped, although refusing to face her. "You never have time for me anymore. Have I done something wrong? The servants are telling me it's because you're changing, but I don't understand that. What's happening to you? Why won't you spend time with me anymore?"

There was a momentary silence between them, and each could feel the wind pick up remnants of dust particles for them to inhale. For that reason, Melody blamed the stinging her in eyes on the blasted winds, and looked down, trying to conceal her grief. "Melody," Zuko began, causing her to glance up towards him. "…You haven't completed your duties. I'll let you get to that first." With that, the boy left, leaving the girl both confused and betrayed. Despite her emotions, she nodded, and went on her way to do just as he instructed.

Upon entering his room, Melody promptly began to work. The room was large but mostly simple, containing a grand bed on the northern wall, and a few decorative curtains on the western wall. As her duty, she would have to take down the curtains and the fire nation emblems on the eastern wall to be washed and dried. After they were washed, the curtains could be placed back in any fashion, but there were certain regulations regarding handling the fire nation cloth. To prevent any reprimanding, the servants usually set aside those treasured insignias to be washed and dried carefully, and more so, placed back in their proper place with extreme care.

Before beginning to take down the décor, Melody busied herself with the small night tables on each side of the bed, organising content and cleaning surfaces. The cleaning continued, and as she completed her tasks, she couldn't help but thinking what a menial life she led. It seemed she would forever stay trapped in that prison. Those who didn't know any better would say she was blessed to serve the royal family and stay within palace walls. However, no amount of gilding can hide the purpose of a cage.

Finally, she reached the most difficult part of her day: cleaning the mirrors. Melody had never been a spiteful or hateful person, but she despised mirrors. Their only purpose was to worsen the quality of her life, and remind her of her innate worthlessness, and overall uselessness. A sorrow constantly surrounded her, one she couldn't explain, making her bitter and remorseful. As she wiped the reflection, a small tingling sensation ran up her back and ensnared her mind. It was as if someone was pricking her skull, and soon, there was a loud ringing.

She tried. She truly tried. Melody found herself staring, and grief and anger overwhelmed her. An awful emptiness grew prominent, more so than its usual presence, and the ringing shot throughout the room. How much she wanted to break the reflection, tear her hair off, and claw out the fat of her skin and body. Unbeknownst to Zuko or any other, her thighs were marked with scratches caused by her own fingers. It wasn't her, at least she believed, it was whatever told her to do it. The monster from her childhood.

You're still alive? The monster questioned. It only existed in her head. Not even Zuko wants you now. You're such an idiot. She was always making mistakes, always saying stupid things, never knowing what to do. The sense of self-pity was a loathsome one, but she was powerless to stop it. It consumed her mind, made her feel valueless.

Soon, Melody found herself sitting before the mirror, staring at her pathetic body. It was sadness. No, sadness wasn't the correct word, but it was the closest. In reality, it was a deep sorrow and despair that entered her body and racked her very bones with a violence that left her questioning the quality of her life and her surroundings. Her reality was a sad one in her eyes, and so often found herself contemplating her decision to remain within it. It was as if she were caught in an illusion, a deep dissatisfaction plaguing her, and mocking her existence, which was worth nothing. It was emptiness, it was sorrow, it was hopelessness, it was the unexplainable which had no reason. It was giving terms and names to those who had lost a part of themselves, and became a useless husk. It was a loss of self-identity, and sense of death while alive.

The monster mocked her, spit into her consciences, and questioned her decision to exist, reminding her of her shortcomings. Her breathing insulted the air and her footsteps the dirt which clung to her skin. Slowly, she scratched once more, finding some patch of skin on her legs. She did not enjoy pain. That was madness. Rather, she craved to see damage done upon herself. That was reason. There was no point in caring about her body, since no-one else did, and she didn't see a reason either. She was disposable. Should she die, another servant would take her place, and that was the end of that. It was shameful to think in such a manner, but she couldn't stop herself. It was pathetic.

The door to the room soon opened, startling the young servant. Much to her horror, Zuko stared at her, hoping she had finished her everyday tasks. It was a fortunate thing that the young prince was, although above average intelligence, dense in the matters that plagued Melody. He disregarded Melody's position and considered it normal for girls to stare at their reflection for a prolonged period of time. With a gentle smile, Melody stood and fixed his bed for him, finding it was getting dark. She had spent her entire day cleaning.

For the first time in a long while, Zuko waited for her as she called in his male servants to attend to the prince and prepare him for bed. While the servants collected the prince's sleepwear, Melody combed and tied the boy's hair, as well as massaging his shoulders upon his request. It didn't take much to notice Zuko's annoyance with the slowness of the servants, but he at least attempted to remain composed. "There's a war council meeting tomorrow," Zuko muttered, surprising Melody. He was starting conversation with her. "I'm going."

Melody's eyebrows wrinkled in worry, and she momentarily paused before resuming. "Is that a good idea, Prince Zuko?" Melody asked, hoping she did not offend the prince.

Zuko sighed, understanding her concern. "I'm the crown prince of the Fire Nation…I think I should know what's going on in the War."

"But…if you weren't invited, won't you be punished?" Melody slightly gasped as his expression changed to one of contempt, and soon, she apologised. Touching his shoulder lightly once more, Melody worked for the right words to say. Despite three years of tutorship and language skills training, the right words were always difficult to come by. "I care about you," she whispered. "I'm worried…that's all." His expression soothed at her explanation, and he dismissed her, the servants finally arriving.

As told, Melody left, feeling a warm sensation pool in her stomach and her cheeks flushing. It was strange; she had never felt so nervous around the prince before. It had to be his fault. After months of brief conversation, he's made it awkward between them. It had nothing to do with growth, but rather, his decisions. As the servants inside assisted Zuko, Melody couldn't help but think of the prince's broad shoulders. They were attractive. His jaw-line was also particularly appealing to the eyes, and his lips held a new maturity to them. Of course, it was inappropriate to think in such a manner, so she stopped.

The servants soon exited the room and motioned she was now free to enter. Although unsure if Zuko would approve, she did enter the room, and found he was actually expecting her. "Let's talk," was all he said, and that was enough for her to obey.

Sitting down beside him, albeit making sure she did not crumple the sheets too much, she began talking about her day and the small game she had played with the other servants. It surprised Zuko what kind of deprived behaviour the servants had outside of their duties, but he tried not to dwell on them. Zuko was largely quiet, refusing to tell Melody of his endeavors to gain strength and win his father's affections from Azula. Knowing the girl, she would simply tell him that wasn't necessary, and simply try to convince him Iroh's love for him should be substantial. "You know what I want?" Melody said, smiling dreamily. "I want to be one of those sassier girls you hear about. The one's that have that 'cool' attitude to them, you know? They're not afraid of anything, and they handle everything with a nonchalant and cocky approach."

Zuko smiled somewhat and shook his head. "That doesn't really suit you, to be honest. Plus, the reason you hear so much about those girls is because nobody likes them." Melody looked down and smiled at his compliment, feeling strange once more. It was the feeling of spring, almost like cicadas hugging trees while the leaves drifted down into the ground, and the wind picking up the pollen of the flowers and surrounding them.

"Prince Zuko," Melody began, turning away from him and glancing at the mirror. "Would you mind allowing me to get rid of those mirrors? They're a pain to clean."

This question confused Zuko, but he nodded. "Fine," he replied, trying to make things simple, feeling strange himself. For some reason, his eyes kept drifting to her developing breasts and inward waist. Should she ever find out about his lecherous thoughts, he was certain she would fear him and possibly jeopardise his chances with Mai. However, he felt he was betraying Mai with a servant. Yes, Melody was his friend, and no, Mai wasn't his girlfriend, but there was something in his moral fibre telling him he was in the wrong. "You're really pretty," he absentmindedly mentioned, shocking Melody. He blushed, realising what he had just disclosed. "I mean…yeah, but I'm not interested or anything! I just noticed, that's all! It meant nothing. Even if it did, it wouldn't work out."

This interested Melody. "Because we're friends? I guess."

Zuko shifted, unsure of how to explain what he thought. "No…I meant…because, you know, you're a servant. It wouldn't be right for us to get any more intimate than friends. I even think we're pushing it right now."

"It wouldn't be right?"

"That's not what I meant. No, I did mean that but not in the way you're thinking. It's not that it wouldn't be right; it just…wouldn't be acceptable. This isn't a storybook where the prince falls in love with a servant, it's real life. I don't think you and I should even consider being more than just servant and master…to keep things normal."

Suddenly, her hands dropped at his words, and she found herself beginning to grieve. "So we can't even be friends? I'm just your servant?"

"No! We can be friends…but not good friends. Mostly servant. We can talk occasionally, but we just can't spend time together like we used to. We're not kids anymore, Melody. It doesn't work that way."

"How does it work? I don't understand. Why does growing up mean no longer being friends?"

Zuko gripped the sheets, growing increasingly frustrated with his inability to effectively articulate himself. "Why can't you understand? We're changing! Everything's changing! It's not like we can go take a swim together in the harbour or play house anymore!"

"But why not?" Melody cried, allowing her sadness to spill out.

"Because we can't! Because…it's not the same. I think things that aren't normal, and I rather not have those thoughts in my head. If you're the cause of them, then I'll have to remove you. I'm a prince, and you're my servant…it's best if we just keep it that way."

Melody bit her lip, trying to understand. "What kind of thoughts? Maybe I can help stop them." With an abrupt gasp, she felt soft warmth against her lips, and soon realised Zuko was kissing her. Just as quickly as he had, he retreated, guilt and embarrassment evident in his expression. It wasn't long before Melody leaned into him, pressing their lips together once more. That kiss was longer than their first, and Melody savoured what she could, satisfying her curiosity, and unbeknownst to her, his as well.

Perhaps it was affection that drove their behaviour, or rather, the simple curiosity of children and adolescents. Neither knew which one was which, but both realised their desire to linger stemmed from the desire to know more, to fulfill a secret yearning created by the complex changes occurring within them. In due time, the changes would die down, and normality would resume, but for the moment, animal desire had its place, and Zuko allowed a temporary intimacy prompted by inquisitiveness.

As they parted, Zuko couldn't help but think back to what he had just told her, and he couldn't help but feel the hypocrisy of it all consume him. "We should forget about this," he quickly stated, licking his lower lip as a form of removing the memory.

Melody nodded, beginning to understand what Yi had been trying to explain, and what Zuko had been trying to convey. "I understand," Melody replied. Soon, however, she took his hand, earning him a confused look. "If I agree it never happened…can we be friends again? It doesn't have to be weird."

The strangeness of the whole moment disoriented Zuko, and he agreed, not knowing what else to do. It was a new experience for him. It was his first kiss. To think, with a servant of all people. The humiliation it would cause him should this little rendezvous be leaked to others was unbearable to even think about. "We'll be friends then…like before. But, just…let's not go any farther from there. Not again."

Melody smiled, relieved that it was all resolved. "Sure. Goodnight, my prince." With that, she left the room, and once outside, let out a girlish squeal. Only in one dream did she kiss Zuko the way she had just moments ago in reality. It was her first kiss. To think, with the crown prince of all people! If only she could tell the world and brag about it! Yet, she knew it had to be a secret for the sake of his position and confidence. For a moment, she hoped that it was also the prince's first kiss as well.

The following morning came as it always did, and the clouds lumbered by the way they always had. As usual, the birds chirped a welcoming melody to the rising sun, and smaller creatures crept from their hidden homes in search of food and other forms of nourishment. The markets also awoke with the vegetation and the fauna, and soon, the streets lined and filled with people living in the capital of the nation. The children were set apart in one corner of the market while their mothers went to shop and their fathers to produce. Livestock was taken out of their shelters, and small prices were written on them, although easily erased should market conditions change. Life went on.

The day of the war council meeting had arrived, and Iroh, being a highly regarded general, was asked to join, much to the distaste of his brother. As Iroh prepared himself, refusing the help of the servants, he couldn't help but think of Zuko, who was a constant worry on his mind. Knowing the boy, he would probably attempt joining the meeting, but as long as the prince was susceptible to outbursts, he thought it an ill idea. Yes, Zuko was reaching an age where it was wise to teach him more of world affairs, but not yet at the age where he actively could engage in them.

As Iroh made his way to the war chamber, he heard a quiet singing coming from one of the nearer halls, making him stop and inquire who was there. As to not disturb the girl, and he knew it was a girl, he simply peeped in and saw with amusement it was no other than Melody. She seemed unusually exuberant that day, and did her tasks with such gaiety, he scarcely could believe she wasn't actually playing a game. It was a fun sight, and so, he let her have her good moment, whatever the cause could be. Although, he did have an idea of what could possibly cause the young girl such happiness. At her age, there weren't a lot of things that could put one in that mood. Obviously, she liked a boy. At least he speculated as such.

Melody collected several sheets and curtains to be washed as the strategists and other military officials made their way to the war chamber. It was difficult to avoid them, considering their number and chosen paths, and Melody almost wished there were back ways for only servants to use. The procedure was the same in case she accidentally bumped into any one of them. Stop what she was doing, apologise profusely, and endure a punishment of some sort, whether it was a slap or just foul words.

As she made her way from Zuko's bedchamber, once more, she bumped into another, and began her standard apologies. "Here," the male voice replied, dismissing her apologies and helping her stand up. Melody looked up at Zuko once more, glad it was him instead of some pompous military man, not that Zuko wasn't pompous, but she was well adapted to his arrogance.

Collecting the items, Melody noticed how formal he dressed, and remembered he had planned to attend the meeting. "Are you sure about going?" Melody asked, worry once more etched on her face. Zuko only nodded and assured her he was, repeating his previous statement on the matter. With that, the left, finding it was close to starting. Any other day and Melody would've simply let him go, but that day, with so many men congregating in one place, she followed him. Fortunately, much to her relief, Iroh was with him, which was a comforting thought. If Zuko was hotheaded, Iroh was far too patient for human possibility.

At that point, Melody knew that Iroh had reluctantly let Zuko into the meeting and planned to keep a close eye on him. Well, so did she…partly out of curiosity as well. One could call it eavesdropping; another could call it getting two birds with one stone. Each one had its level of accuracy. As the meeting began, Melody pressed her ear against the wall, hidden from the guards, struggling to hear. It was a tedious meeting, and boring beyond belief. It was the same thing one heard in the servant's quarters, or while chatting with one of the elderly men out in the market square, who for some reason have a sincere love for politics and other pointless nonsense.

According to a general inside, he considered the best course of action to be sacrificing a division of new recruits by placing them on the frontlines as a divisionary technique. "What better to use as bait than fresh meat?" the general coldly stated, explaining they would attack from the rear as the carnage destroyed the recruits. It was an inhumane plan, one sinister and heartless to the very core, and a betrayal of these young men's love for their nation.

Iroh had thought so, and unfortunately, so did Zuko. "You can't sacrifice an entire division like that!" Zuko yelled, shocking both Iroh and Melody in his outburst. "Those soldiers love and defend our nation! How can you betray them?" The sequence of occurrences that followed was a blur to Melody, and she found her breath had abandoned her upon hearing the Fire Lord's voice. According to the Fire Lord, Zuko's father, Zuko had spoken out of turn, and his challenge to the general was an act of disrespect.

There was a loud roar of fire from within the war chamber, and Melody yelped, running off in fear. However, part of her felt like a traitor for leaving Zuko behind in such a manner, yet, another part of her simply didn't want to be caught in the middle of the dispute. Zuko had wanted to go and he went! There was no reason for her to stay by his side when it was his own indiscretion that earned him retribution from his father! But…Zuko was her master, and more so, her friend. No, she couldn't go back to the hall. Instead, she would greet and comfort him as he walked through the palace.

In a matter of hours, talk began floating about the servant quarters and the halls. They muttered silently of a coming even later in the day, when the sun met the earth to rest from its long hours of service. The talk was all the same, spreading vicious rumours and exaggerations from what had truly occurred. One servant had told the other that the young prince had challenged the general to an Agni Kai himself, while others swore that it was voted upon by the entire council. Some other persons detailed how Zuko had threatened the general with banishment, and thus challenged Fire Lord Ozai's authority in the Fire Nation. In one wild case, the group of female servants tending to Azula spoke quietly of how Zuko had blasted the general with fire, and physically wounded him.

It was a funny thing, really. Out of all the whispers and mutters, of all the speculation and assurances, not a single one spoke of how Zuko had defended the lives of new recruits. Perhaps it simply wasn't scandalous enough news for the entertainment of the masses. In the end, little else mattered to individuals than having a good story to tell, and not many enjoyed the happier stories of bravery or chivalry. Hao had been among one of the gossipers, and he confided to Melody that he thought it best to stay away from Zuko for a while, lest the young prince harm her.

It was a ridiculous thought to Melody, knowing full well Prince Zuko would never think to hurt her. In fact, it was downright silly to believe Zuko would ever intentionally hurt anyone. Despite her internal protests, Melody did not refute or defend Zuko's integrity, finding herself wanting to stay out of the mass gossip and more importantly, away from potential sources of conflict. She was a coward, she knew that, but she was a coward with a sense of self-preservation.

The Agni Kai chamber began to fill with people as the day proceeded, the eventual duel being treated as it were some sport event. In the eyes of the bystanders, it probably was exactly such a thing. Servants were used as ushers, although Melody was disallowed from partaking in the preparation for the duel. Soldiers were placed around all entrances and exits, and other soldiers who could alter as medics were placed near the four corners of the arena. Children were not allowed entrance, as the sight of burnt corpses that usually occurred as a result of Agni Kais was far too gruesome for their tender eyes.

Determined to find a way to see Zuko before he began the duel, Melody followed one of his male servants, knowing he had to be off preparing somewhere. It was almost disappointing how easy it truly was to get past the royal guards, who seemed more concerned about missing the Agni Kai than really preventing unwanted guests from entering the room. Obviously, Zuko meant that little to them. Then again, Zuko meant little more than just a good show for most. Finding him sitting by a broken mirror, Melody eyed the assistants and soon made her way over to him as they promptly left to fulfill their other duties.

He was tense. It made sense. He had every reason to be tense. Although he wasn't afraid of the general, the prospect of ending a man's life frightened him, but if he didn't do so, then it could bring shame to his family. There was a gentle hand soon on his shoulders, rubbing them as he contemplated the coming battle. "You're not a coward if you don't do it," Melody began, stopping her hands. The thought of him possibly losing and being scorched was an overwhelming one, bringing an amount of pain she thought unfathomable. Then again, the thought of him becoming a murderer was no better.

Zuko shook his head in disagreement. "I have to, Melody. It's for my honour."

This upset the girl, and she squeezed his arm slightly. "Which one? Getting killed or killing?"

"Whichever ends the Agni Kai."

Melody turned away from him, tears beginning to collect in her eyes. There wasn't much Zuko could say, and so, he thought it best to just remain quiet. "What if…who will take care of me?"

Zuko smiled, finally knowing an answer. "If something happens to me, I'm sure uncle will take you as his servant, and you can stay within the palace walls."

"No…I won't want to. I want to get out."

The boy frowned at this, knowing of Melody's unhappiness. "Then leave, but I can't promise you any care."

"I want to leave with you."

This was a baffling statement to the both of them, and Zuko wasn't sure whether to feel irritated with the declaration, or sympathetic. Perhaps he could simply feel both. "Melody…that's the stupidest thing you've ever said. Even if I could leave, I…I wouldn't want to. This is my home."

Biting her lip, Melody slightly leaned into him, wanting to scratch his forearm. "We could make our own home somewhere else…where they won't make you fight an Agni Kai for some reason. We can just leave and not come back. I can still serve you. You can still be my master. But, we'll be able to spend time together, and be ourselves without having to worry about formalities all the time. I won't have to sneak in to see you."

"…You're crazy. We can't leave. I won't follow you if you did."

The female smiled and agreed, turning away from him. "Okay…then I'll stay here. But if you get hurt today, I'm gone! I'm not going to care anymore, Prince Zuko! I don't want to be here, and I don't want you to fight!"

There was a call for Zuko to come to the arena, and the boy took a deep breath, overwhelmed at everything that was happening. "I will win this, Melody. I will." Before departing, he embraced the girl, remembering how she had once done so to him. "You promised me forever," he muttered, causing a small weep from the girl. "When I become Fire Lord, I will make us both happy. You won't be my servant anymore. I'll make you a noble and you'll be able to leave the palace every day and return when you want to. We won't have to hide our friendship to all these jerks, not when I'm ruler."

Although Zuko had never wanted to admit it, there was a certain pain that came with the thought of losing his closest companion. Zuko and Melody had their differences, but in the end, after three years of familiarity, it was hard to imagine his daily life without her in it in some form. Even the months he had avoided her were somewhat difficult, as he found himself wanting to call her name in need of an opinion or just someone to talk to at the moment. With the last word, Zuko left, unknowingly leaving the girl in a tearful fit. She tried to follow him, tried to stop him from fighting, but guards stopped her and forcefully escorted her out of the chamber.

Melody had never thought herself disobedient. This time, she decided she was already disobeying enough, and snuck into the arena, hiding behind seats. The chamber was crowded with people, war generals, admirals, and all types of military personnel. Of course, Princess Azula was there, well seated in the front where she was sure not to miss a thing. Unlike the crowd, Azula was already well-aware that it wasn't the general Zuko had offended that was going to fight, but rather, her father, Fire Lord Ozai.

Iroh seated himself in the second row of seconds, wanting to hide behind at least one row of bodies, but not wanting to insult his brother and nephew by seating himself too far off. As the older man made himself comfortable, his heart heavy with the grief of the coming event, he spotted the very noticeable and stark hair that sifted through the crowds. Lowly calling to her, Melody was able to spot him, and she soon worked her way over to him. His gaze was one of disappointment and sorrow, and he motioned for Melody to leave the chamber. However, the girl pleaded to stay, and in a moment of weakness, he hid her from curious eyes.

The older man waited, disregarding the hiding girl, and soon touched his chest in despair. The heartache was almost unbearable, and he wished for some unnatural occurrence to strike the Agni Kai chamber and end the duel. If he could, he would take the place of his beloved nephew, the memory of loss fresh on his mind. Iroh had already lost his biological son, and his physical body was now too weak to bear the loss of his second son, his nephew. Although the boy could never understand, Iroh loved Zuko dearly, and lamented the happenings that led to this event.

It began. With his back turned on the opponent and one knee on the ground, Zuko stood up, allowing the shoulder garment to slide off. According to custom, Zuko then turned to face his opponent, and despite being ready to deliver a blast of fire, he froze. The boy's eyes widened as his opponent faced him, not even bothering to take a fighting stance, recognising the boy as weak. Soon, Zuko's hands dropped, and he slowly shook his head, tears beginning to form on the edge of his eyes. It couldn't be.

Zuko straightened himself, disbelief freezing his movements. Hesitantly, Zuko began to mouth something, attempting to articulate words. "Father…no. I won't fight you! Forgive me, please!" the boy began to beg. Melody stared at the arena as Zuko fell to his knees, begging and crying for forgiveness.

"Fight," Ozai spat, approaching the younger male. Zuko shook his head, refusing to combat his own father. Ozai, however, only saw this as an insult, and raised a fist at the boy. There were little words to describe Melody's desire to protest the Fire Lord's actions, but she knew she was voiceless. Instead, like Iroh, she turned away, trying to containing her cries. She shouldn't have been there, and now, part of her wished she wasn't. "You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher."

Upon hearing those words, there was the sound of swooshing fire, following by a piercing scream. Just as quickly as the Agni Kai had began, it ended. The scream echoed in Melody's mind, and more so, in Iroh's. Frightened, grieving, and disheartened, Melody ran off, uncaring of who spotted her. The servants, feeling sympathetic, did nothing to stop her from leaving the chamber and turning her in. Once outside the forsaken room, Melody let out her own cry of despair, angered that Zuko did not heed her advice to simply leave. It could've been avoided!

The medics surrounded the boy's unconscious body, scorched skin and drops of blood falling from his face. It was hard to tell if his eye was still functional just by an immediate checkup, and Ozai ordered the boy carried off away from sight. His punishment had only begun. Iroh quickly moved towards the shamed prince, unable to contain his regret and sorrow. Only moments ago was Zuko such a handsome boy, now, scarred beyond repair. At that moment, Iroh was glad the boy had lost consciousness, for at least that meant he felt little pain.

For days Zuko remained in treatment, isolated from everyone with the exception of his uncle, who refused to leave unless he was allowed a visit. The scar was healing, however, only in the sense that it no longer bled at the touch, and the skin was accustomed to its charring. As the days passed, Zuko would begin gaining consciousness once more, hearing of his banishment and inability to ever regain his honour unless he captured the Avatar. It was a new task given to him, and one he was willing to accept if it meant gaining his father's affections once more.

To allow room for the scar to heal, his head was shaved, with the exception of one patch of hair which he then styled into a ponytail. Staring at a mirror, Zuko saw how weak he had become in his days of immobility, and how heinous the scar appeared. For a moment, he was glad Melody took down the mirrors in his own bedchamber, but soon remembered he would not be returning to his own bed. In a twist of events, he was, in fact, allowed back into his room to recover, but that was only until Iroh's influence could provide him with a ship and crew.

At the sound of Zuko's banishment, Iroh had pleaded with his brother to allow him to go with the boy as well, to which the Fire Lord was more than delighted to do so. Convicts, thugs, and other banished peoples were recruited for the duo, and some signed up on the belief they would be serving under the esteemed General Iroh. As this went on, Melody sat outside Zuko's room every day, wanting to say more than a simple good morning as she walked in to perform her duties.

Once more on an average day, Melody entered her room, and for the first time, saw Zuko sleeping. It pained her to see him in such a form, his frailty almost alien to her. "Prince Zuko," Melody whispered, standing beside his sleeping form. "My prince…your bandage has to be changed."

One eye soon fluttered open, and he stared at her, having nothing to say. "Have the medics arrived?" he questioned.

Melody shook her head, touching the bandage lightly. "I'll be doing it today. I've been ordered to practise. The royal healers won't be able to join us in the search for the avatar."

Zuko eyed her for a moment. "Us? You're coming?"

Melody smiled in return and nodded gently, beginning to remove the cloth. Pieces of skin tore off, causing some parts of the scar to bleed. As instructed, Melody promptly wiped away the blood with wet gauze, fixing a clean bandage to be placed over his eye. She continued to clean the burn mark, soon placing the new piece of cloth on it, and wrapping it around his head. After finishing, Zuko touched his eye, wondering if he would be able to see out of it again. To his surprise, he felt a pair of hands on his own, causing him to glance at Melody with a questioning look. "I promised forever," she stated, smiling towards him.

He nodded, falling back down on the sheets. There was a growing bitterness within him, one he could barely contain. Her words were kind, but he didn't care about them any longer. Forever or just that moment, his time with Melody no longer mattered. What truly mattered now was finding and capturing the avatar. Quaint words and pretty expressions be damned. Scowling towards the ceiling, Zuko took the small mirror beside him and smashed it against the wall, frightening the servant girl.

More days soon passed, and Zuko found himself in the ship his uncle had been able to provide for him, and the crew buzzing about. Sitting in his room, Zuko contemplated his next course of action to capture the avatar. According to the sequence, the avatar had to be an air nomad. Considering it had been one-hundred years since his disappearance, the avatar was probably an old master of the elements. He would no doubt be a formidable opponent against Zuko, but of course, he didn't have his honour on the line.

Melody was close by, fixing his room and organising his possessions. With utmost care, the girl put up the Fire Nation emblem, reminding Zuko of his royal status, albeit banished. For the most part, she remained quiet, doing as she was told, although fearing the men she saw aboard. She would miss the other servants, like Yi and Hao, but she was far more dedicated to Zuko than she was to those others.

Slowly, the ship began its movement, although with no course. Wanting his nephew to rest, Iroh instructed the crew while Zuko stayed in his bedroom. However, the time had come where they had finally left Fire Nation waters, and were now truly abound at sea. At this, Iroh approached Zuko, making sure the boy did not do anything strenuous. "Prince Zuko, we're outside of Fire Nation boundaries. Now, get some rest. I've directed us to sail for a nice colony on the edges of the Earth Kingdom."

"No," Zuko retorted, glaring at his uncle. "We need to find the avatar. That's our priority, not rest."

"But Prince Zuko…"

Zuko stood, heading for the outside of the ship, much to the worry of his uncle. "We'll scour the world, searching in even the most remote places until we find him. Head for the Western Air Temple."

* * *

***Sigh* Let the Mary Sue ranters begin. **

**Let's begin with the fact Zuko and Melody did indeed kiss. Yes, they kissed. A 13 year old boy and a 12 year old girl just totally did that. Now, the common misconception of such an act is that they like each other romantically, instead of in a platonic manner. Is that necessarily true? In some cases, yes, two people kiss each other because they "like, like" each other, to put it in familiar terms. In fact, I would say in most cases. However, does that have to be true all the time? No, not at all.**

**Throughout the chapter, other than explaining what was going on in the story, I wanted to reveal a more human-like quality to the characters. All of these characters go through puberty, and so, I would say it's within reason that they have similar curiosities and thoughts to us. Think of the time where you thought this boy was really cute, or you thought a girl was just the prettiest thing ever (depending on gender and whatnot), but you didn't actually truly like them, you just found them attractive, wouldn't you want to know how it feels like to kiss that person? **

**For those who said no, let's be honest here. So you're telling me that if Johnny Depp puckered up, you wouldn't reciprocate? What if Channing Tatum did the same thing? And don't you think a boy wouldn't kiss Megan Fox or Mila Kunis in a heartbeat? Most of us would. Just because people want to, doesn't necessarily mean they truly romantically like that person and that person's personality, or perceive them "that way". It could be just plain old curiosity that sparks it all. They're kids, they're going to be curious. For those who are in that age range, aren't you curious about it? For those who are past it, weren't you curious about it? So, no, Zuko and Melody still view themselves as friends. In fact, Zuko feels humiliated that he did kiss her. Romantic, huh? **

**Speaking of human-like qualities, with Melody, I plan to enter a world of the common unknown. This chapter provides the first descriptions of Melody's inner emotions and thoughts, something that hides in the corner of the mind, and will grow worse as time passes. For those who are good at this stuff, you already know. For those who are confused: Depression. Unfortunately, I've diagnosed Melody with not only Depression, but a severe enough depression that it's beginning to show symptoms of Psychotic Depression. What it is exactly will be revealed in later chapters, and purpose does it serve should be clearing up now. **

**No, I didn't give Melody a mental illness for shits and giggles. Her original design didn't include it. However, my new Melody will serve as a tool to dissect those very feelings she's experiencing. Giving a character depression is a pretty big deal, considering that's not a disease you just attach on and pretend it doesn't impact anything. Wrong. It changes a lot of things. In other words, Melody will be used to psychoanalyze human nature, and give a small preview into the thought process and life of those afflicted with this illness. Of course, that's a stretch, considering not everyone is impacted the same way, nor does everyone feel the same way. It's a complex thing. **

**Zuko is the conflict of good and evil, and that boy blurs a lot of lines. Melody will serve to blur them as well, and will usher in a discussion of humanity in the sentimental feminine perspective. Yes, she is a girl, so expect undertones of sexuality (sometimes, it'll even be outright sexual). Growing up and coming of age will also continue to feature, considering the human body doesn't exactly stop growing at the teen years.**

** For my younger readership, if y'all are out there, I'm expecting maturity. I've rated this as T, but realistically, that's not the case. Not that I mind. Now, I'm placing trust in my readers, and hoping everyone can catch what I'm intending to do, even when I don't point it out. If there's any question, feel free to ask. Also, no, there will be no scenes depicting copulation...I hate the "s" word.  
**

**Thank you for reading**

**-SS**


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